A really gripping play on the YA teen battle formula that Hunger Games exemplified. The Mexican setting, the semidioses, the queer representation are all great, and the gripping plot and the teens making difficult and sometimes stupid choices kept me engaged from beginning to end. I couldn’t believe the cliffhanger that the book ended on, and I can’t wait for the sequel!

Oh, this book is such a wild ride, and I’ll go anywhere Aiden Thomas takes us. THE SUNBEARER TRIALS is a Mexican-inspired YA fantasy novel, the first in a duology, about teen semidioses who compete in a series of trials. The winner - and the loser - fulfill an essential ritual for the protection of Reino del Sol that must occur every ten years, but soon it becomes apparent that there’s something unusual about these trials. There’s so much rich and enthralling world building in this story, about the Gold, Jade, and Obsidian gods, the history of their realm, and the different cultures and people who dwell within it. I loved getting to know each of the ten semidioses who are pitted against each other (and the character art Thomas commissioned brings them to life so beautifully). It’s a very diverse mix, written with such intentionality, with an unapologetically queer and trans lead, Teo (who’s also an absolute chaos demon and a scrappy underdog you’ll be rooting for from page one). I’m particularly obsessed with Niya; we must protect her at all costs! Also Aurelio with that constant little frown! The storytelling is gripping and immersive, and settings Thomas paints for us are so interesting and lovely; I am begging, pleading for a screen adaptation. I can’t wait to read the conclusion to this series. Thanks to Feiwel & Friends and Macmillan Audio for the review copies! This book is out 9/6.

The Sunbearer Trials is an amazing start to a new series. With an all Latino cast, it showcases cultural heritage and mythology like few fantasy novels manage. Teo is transgender, and his identity plays a central role at the beginning of the story. However, the narrative does not revolve around the prejudices and pressures that come with being transgender. Instead, it is something that only adds to Teo's character as a person, especially when he talks about the issue of identity with Xio who is questioning his gender. Other characters in the story utilize "they/them" pronouns or have biological children with someone of the same gender. In this world, gender and sexual orientation are not questioned. One of the secondary characters is also Deaf, and there are lots of times characters will speak and sign at the same time. This is also not seen as unusual but completely natural.

Every competitor in the trials was interesting. In fact, I wanted to know more about the semidioses who were not best friends with Teo. The semidiosas of Spring and Storms, for instance, were such intriguing characters, but they did not get a lot of time on the page. However, I thought this was a one shot. There is still time for them to be more fully developed in other installments of the series. The main characters, including the antagonists, were fleshed out with realistic tragic backstories and complex emotions.

The plot itself felt rushed at the end, but this was before I realized the book was not a standalone. As a cliffhanger, the ending worked well. I cannot wait for the continuation to see what is going to happen. All of the trials were easy to follow, and I found myself rooting for all the different competitors at various times. The action was well paced and balanced by moments of emotion and sincerity. Drama and suspense work together to create a tight story with compelling characters in a world where diversity is not unusual.

I’m so grateful that NetGalley and Macmillan provided access to an ARC of The Sunbearer Trials. This was an excellent read that has me excited for more stories in this universe along with other works by Aiden Thomas. Aiden crafted such a unique and diverse universe that was immersive from the beginning. The general lives of the semidióses would have been interesting enough to write about, but the Sunbearer Trials was a fantastic event to center the story around.

I loved the unique identities of each semidiós, especially that of the protagonist Teo, who was an incredibly authentic character. The author does a fantastic job of crafting the identity of each semidiós without spending too much time on a given character. Watching the cast navigate each trial was exciting. I had zero foresight into the ending, which felt like a forceful punch to the gut.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. Right off the bat, the world-building with the gods and their children was lush and unique. I thought Teo was an extremely strong character, and I loved the representation, especially of different gender identities and having a trans main character. The plot was a tad predictable, but it's YA novel, so that was expected!

However, my caveat with this is that I really feel it should have been a middle grade book instead of YA. It was written young, and would have made a lot more sense if it were written for a middle grade audience. That being said, there was a lot of cursing and mature jokes that popped up at random times. I have no problem with this, but the fact that the rest of the book had a much more juvenile tone to it, these instances felt very out of place.

This is my first Aiden Thomas book (even though Cemetery Boys has been sitting on my bookshelf for probably a year now) but it looked so interesting I couldn't resist!

The way that gender and the normalness of having not "just" boys and girls was wonderful and I appreciated how Teo or Xio or any one else being trans was an obstacle. I also really loved the idea of gender confirmation ceremonies because it felt similar to how teenagers have b'nei mitvahs or quinceañeras as a symbol of reaching adulthood. There was also deaf representation that was also not made to be a big deal and was included well into the story.

Teo and Niya's friendship and subsequent acquisition of Xio was adorable and I loved it. Niya on her own I adored too, she was hilarious and a wonderful comic relief. Also Aurelio is exactly the kind of romantic interest I love to read about in books so that was a plus for me. Also his dark and broody tragic backstory was great (I mean, terrible, but great story-wise). Fantasma though was my absolute favorite side character and I hope we get to see and find out more about her.

I need to call out my absolutely favorite and funniest part of the book though, is the part when Teo is talking to Xio about his collection of Hero cards and Teo asks for Xio's binder and Xio thinks he's talking about his chest binder and not the binder of cards. I had thought of it the first time Xio's card binder was mentioned and it was a treat to see it played upon.

As a whole I really enjoyed this book and it's story even though there were some writing things I found fault in (ie the fact that I had to read "a puddle of sunshine" not once, but twice in less than ten pages), I still would recommend this book. The representation is fantastic and the story is fun! I could see how the story was going to play out very early on (which is not always a bad thing, and the pay out was there for this one!), but I read the last 15% on my lunch break and was still jittery with excitement by the end and I cannot wait to read the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

“Troublemakers make change, Teo.”

This story follows Teo, the 17 year old son of Quetzal who is the goddess of birds. In this Mexican-inspired fantasy world there are different classes of gods. Golds, the famous heroes, Jades, the minor gods, and Obsidians who have been banished from this world. Teo, although he is only a Jade is selected along with 10 other semidioses to be part of the Sunbearer Trials. The winner will be named Sunbearer and replenishes the Sun Stones around their world to protect them from the Obsidians. Meanwhile, the competitor who comes in last place is sacrificed.

I absolutely LOVED this book. The world was very interesting. I fell in love with all the characters. Even though there were 10 competitors in the trials I feel like I got to know each of them. They were all very unique and had their own chance in the spotlight. I loved our main character, Teo. He’s an amazing friend and is also willing to admit when he’s wrong. He’s just trying his best. There was action, suspense, and tension. There were reignited friendships and betrayals. It was everything I look for in a book and I can’t wait for the sequel!

The Sunbearer Trials is a fantastic young adult fantasy book that I cannot recommend highly enough. After reading the ending, I am already looking forward to the sequel. Now I want the next book! thank you again for this arc!!

5 stars - I loved it!

Edit: It's been a week since I read this story and I still can’t stop thinking about this world and these characters. I am bumping my rating up because of it.


Teo is a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds. He never worried about the Sunbearer Trials because a Jade hasn’t been chosen in over a century. When Sol chooses two Jades, including Teo, for this year's Trials, everything changes.

When I first read the blurb for this book, it seemed like a fascinating, inclusive, and very dangerous world, and it is. This is a fascinating world with gods, their children (semidiós), and a dangerous trial that ends with a sacrifice of a player to Sol. I was instantly swept up in this world and its unique characters and premise.

Teo was a fun, reckless, and brave teenager. He never expects to be chosen but is determined to at least not be at the bottom. HIs friendship with Niya and Xio was wonderful. They were dedicated to helping each other survive and had wonderful camaraderie. In the beginning, I did find Teo to be slightly whiny at times, but it was also normal teenage behavior so it made sense. I just could have done with less wine.

The rivalry between Teo and Aurelio was another main point in this story. There is a lot of history between them but you can feel their relationship changing as the story progresses. They have gone from childhood friends-to enemies- to rivals and are starting to creep towards love, but that doesn’t happen in this book. I enjoyed their rivalry because it made sense with their history, but I am still a bit unsure about their potential romance. I will have to see if the next book changes my thoughts on that.

This conclusion of the trials was action packed, emotional, and unexpected at times. I was very surprised by what happened, especially since it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Between the world and the characters I couldn’t put it down, and now I am sad that I have to wait for book two. If you are a fan of Percy Jackson, or that kind of fantasy story, I highly recommend this book.

Trigger warnings: body dysphoria; house fire, bullying, abusive mother, injuries, violence

Thoughts

I absolutely adored this book. I don't know what else to say except that I can't recommend it highly enough.

Pros
Healthy Competition: There's something that makes a competition-style book so much fun. The competition that Aiden Thomas builds here is great--vivid and exciting and brand new. There are high stakes for the loser and the winner, and there are interpersonal stakes at play as well. The Golds are the gold standard here--pun intended--which adds a great underdog element to our Jade protagonist as well. Overall, it's good fun.

Animal Sidekicks: I absolutely loved all of Teo's bird friends. Teo doesn't have one animal companion. He's got a whole flock--another intended pun here, of course. I like the levity this little bit of Teo's godly nature adds. The antics were fun, and my only complaint is that there weren't enough of them--though hopefully that will come into play more in the next installment.

Worldbuilding Flair: It's been a long, long time since I've had the privilege of being immersed in a really good fantasy world. This fantasy world is bright and fun. The settings are colorful and full of interesting characters and fascinating lives. I fell in love with this world; it's so unique, and I can't wait to dive into it again with the next book. If only the next weren't so far away!


Cons
Niya: I liked the concept here, and I loved the relationship that Niya and Teo have. I just got off to a bit of a rocky start with Niya, because I feel like her initial introduction--and some of her tension-alleviating characteristics later--were a bit over-the-top. She felt a little bit much, too much of a caricature at times, and that was something of a shame because this book isn't like that.

Youthful: Perhaps the biggest problem with this book is that it feels a little... young. Which isn't entirely a problem, except that it doesn't match the marketing category. Tonally, this book tends to border more on Middle Grade. It's Percy-Jackson-esque in that regard. This is a marketing problem more than anything else. The only lost star on this book is that some readers might be disappointed that it's not quite as YA as they're used to. If I hadn't read this book for a YA-exclusive blog review, this book would absolutely have been a 10/10.

F*@#ing Language: This isn't to say the crude language here was abundant, but perhaps due to the MG flair to writing, the occasional F-bombs felt out of place. I'm not usually so nitpicky unless it truly is a lot. But especially in a book with Percy Jackson as a comp, readers should be warned.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
9/10

Anyone who loved Elizabeth Lim's Six Crimson Cranes will like this vivid new fantasy world. Fans of Roseanne A. Brown's A Song of Wraiths and Ruin will appreciate this new competition story.

This book was not for me…and that’s ok! Because the reason it wasn’t for me, personally, was the writing, NOT that content. The premise was AMAZING, rich and luscious and absolutely unique in a publishing sphere that needs more Latinx origin stories.

I’ll admit, the layout of this particular edition was so difficult for me to slog through. This is a personal fault and did not impact my opinion of the book in anyway, it just made it more difficult for me to read. This is my first Aiden Thomas novel, and I’m not sure if his writing in other books echoes this, but I found it incredibly juvenile. The dialogue structure and tags were a bit cringey, with a profanity thrown in to remind us that Teo was 17 and not 14, like a bunch of children who just learned how to swear. To be fair, that’s probably what they are—which is why I say this book isn’t for ME, but I think will be very readable to teens.

I considered DNFing at 22% and skimmed the rest of the book. Despite my personal preferences, I truly believe this will be an amazing addition to a YA collection and I WILL be purchasing it. Reasons include Thomas’s place in the YA sphere as an openly trans author and how he discussed Teo’s personal journey of gender identity. So, so important and necessary. Using a binder for Teo’s wings particularly stuck out to me and I believe will resonate with young trans teens deeply in addition to Teo’s more human struggles. The group case and game trials is one of my favorite emergencies in YA these days and will appeal to readers of all gender identities and genre preferences.

The comparison title that stuck out to me was Legendborn by Tracy Deonn—an absolute favorite of mine—another trials masterpiece. I plan to search for more Latinx mythology tales to pair with this, but it will also be a great shelf companion to authors such as Isabel Ibanez, Anna-Marie McLemore, and Zoraida Cordova, as well as Thomas’s other works with such huge variety. will be actively adding this title to my recurring mythology, lore, and legends display (the most popular one I’ve done yet) right next to the Rick Riordan presents titles.

I absolutely loved this book. I cannot wait for it’s release! I want to listen to it on audio when it come out. Definitely will be a book I re-read over and over again.!

I love Aiden Thomas’s writing. The knowledge and background that they put into each book they write is wonderful. The flow is fast and will keep you wanting to read more. I love the details and I can see this world in my head. Highly recommend this book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC. No spoilers (This book is set to release September 6)

I will read anything Aiden Thomas writes. Cemetery Boys is one of my all-time favorite books, and I've added The Sunbearer Trials to that same list. While I could compare this book to Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, or even the Tri-Wizard tournament, this book is wholly itself.

Aiden Thomas makes the fantastical so painfully real--from the characters to the plot to the social commentaries. I love the worlds they create. I am eagerly awaiting the next book.

I’ve never read Aiden Thomas’s Cemetary Boys but I’ve heard lots of good things, so I jumped at the chance at reading an ARC of The Sunbearer Trials. Despite its more Middle Grade-like tone, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I found myself enjoying the competitions and the characters.

I think the first thing to note with this book is that despite its YA label, the tone of the book and the way characters are written felt much more MG than YA. Despite the heavy topic (one of these kids is going to be ritualistically murdered!), Teo’s narration felt very light-hearted, always cracking jokes and pulling pranks. The characters could generally be summarized by a couple of words and largely fell into common Middle-Grade archetypes, mean jocks, the badass best friend, the cowardly best friend, adults that don’t listen, etc. However, the characters Thomas uses to portray those archetypes are not always the ones you’d expect, which I found fun and refreshing. And the jokes made definitely fell into the YA side. I got strong Percy Jackson vibes as I read and would have loved this book as a younger teen.

The story is fairly straightforward, ten semidiós, or half-gods, must compete every year in a series of trials where the winner will carry light to society, and the loser is sacrificed to power that light. Where Thomas adds the suspense was in the trials themselves. The trials Teo and friends (and enemies) have to complete I thought were really creative and fun, and gave way to a lot of interesting conflict and internal character development from Teo.

In between each trail, the ten contestants travel to different cities of Reino del Sol, where the contestants do a bit of sightseeing before attending the hosting city’s trail. I loved seeing the unique characteristics of each city, with their Patron gods and dedication to one aspect. Thomas’ worldbuilding really shines as we travel through Reino del Sol and I can’t way to see what else he has in store for book 2.

Overall, I rate this book a 4/5. While I wasn’t expecting the more MG tone, I had a ton of fun reading The Sunbearer Trials. The worldbuilding really shined and as someone who loves tournament arcs, the competitions were a blast to read.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Macmillan for the advanced copy!

When Aiden first teased the idea of Sunbearer Trials in a TikTok I was immediately sold. A Hunger Games type competition mixed with Mexican-inspired fantasy dioses and semidioses in the same vein as Percy Jackson? SIGN ME UP!

There is so much I want to say about this book. Aiden has created some very incredible characters and a world unlike any other I've ever read about before. The way this story blends together modern themes with fantasy themes all flow together so perfectly and it felt so easily natural. Sometimes with higher fantasy based books it can be so difficult to get in to the vibe of things. Remember cities, characters, powers, plots- it can all get confusing and even sometimes require a glossary to remember whats what. That isn't this book AT ALL. It's written is such a perfect way that its seamlessly easy to fall in to and become one with in a way to where it feels like the legends and gods are ones you would have known all along.

The world in this is so rich and every individual city has so much unique life to it to match the Dios/Diosa that I was hungry for more of the world to be brought out in front of me. I want to see every city, I want to experience every different cultural touch and theme. I loved every destination in this first installment and cant wait to see where else we go in the second one.

Aiden Thomas is incredible with characters. Cemetery Boys is a prime example as Yadriel was easily one of my most favorite characters to get to know. This book is no different except I'm pretty sure that Teo is now one of my most favorite characters of ALL TIME. Teo is complicated in the best ways- he is anti-authority, strong willed, determined, passionate, cares deeply for his friends and loved ones and SO much more I cant even summarize him decently. I felt so incredibly connected to Teo throughout this story and was rooting for him and stressing for him all at the same time. He is my sweet bird son and I love him to pieces.

Additionally, the rest of the cast is just as enthralling. The layers of representation in this book are unmatched by todays usual YA standards. This world is so easily accepting of all people and it felt so perfect to see how naturally everyone had a place and had general acceptance and aides in whichever ways they may need.

I genuinely don't know how I'm going to wait however long for book two to see what happens next. I can only hope I get lucky enough again to receive an ARC when the time comes because until then I'll be on the edge of my seat!

Thomas has created another fun, vibrant world full of adventure and colorful characters. As always, I love how inclusive his stories are of queer people, and the joy he clearly has drawing from his own culture.

Teo is a fun main character, and it is always good to see a trans character who is more settled into his identity and not just discovering who he is. Both stories are good and important! But it's cool to see it.

This book scans very middle grade, despite some of the conversation topics of the contestants. This isn't he!ped by Thomas' choice to use all caps yelling many times, which always feels childish and distracting to me as a reader.

Mentions of social media were prominent in this book, which was fun to emphasize the modern setting but also was a bit of a choice in terms of dating the book. I was especially baffled by a couple meme references that are already out of date (I can't quite recall the specific meme, but one was definitely a Vine from the early 2010s).

I did read an early copy, so this is hopefully something fixed in the published copies and did not impact my review, but the character Ocelo who is only referred to as they/them in dialogue was called he/him in the text several times. I thought maybe this was a case of a character using multiple pronouns, but they are never spoken about using he/him, so it is more likely then not an unfortunate error.

Honestly one of the best books I've read all year. I was already a huge fan of Aiden's books but this is my favorite yet. A Gorgeous fully fleshed out world that is filled with flawed and fantastic characters. The way queerness is revered feels radical and I honestly cannot wait for book two!!

When this was advertised as Percy Jackson x Hunger Games, no lies were told. HEAVY on the Percy Jackson.

We open up on Teo and his birds vandalizing a building and very quickly jump into the story of magical hierarchies, a competition between tweens and teens to determine the next sacrifice for the sun god, uncovering personal histories, and figuring out what truly makes a hero.

Despite the large cast of characters and distinct personalities, Aiden Thomas manages to avoid making things feel jumbled or squished together. It’s a fast-paced story featuring fascinating and lively characters with varying motivations, powers, and roles to play.

The main dynamic between Teo, Niya, and Xio managed to be filled to the brim with warmth, familiarity, and humor with how they bounce off of and protect each other. But my favorite relationships were between gods and their children. Even the smallest interactions spoke volumes to who those characters truly are and I was at the edge of my seat from start to finish.

Gorgeous Mexican-inspired world building and magic systems, 3-dimensional and entertaining characters, high stakes, a deeply compelling underdog story, and a book that is beautifully queer to its core.

The ending will haunt me until I get my hands on the eventual sequel.

CW: death, human sacrifice, violence, grief, brief mentions of child abuse, brief moments discussing gender dysphoria

As much as I adore Aiden Thomas, I was so nervous to start sunbearer trials. I kept seeing it comped to a queer Percy Jackson or Hunger Games- two books that I never had any interest in reading. I should have known better, though, because holy shit.

This pantheon is a thing of legend. I am so impressed with the mythology of this book and how easy and fun it was to understand. It roped me in so fast, and I was so nervous for all these competitors in every single trial. Teo, my entire heart and soul, is so stupid and kind and genuine- my favorite kind of character, and Thomas writes them so perfectly. As soon as he threw down some finger guns I knew I would die for Teo.

This book is just fucking cool. I loved following the trials and stressing with them, loved the relationships formed as seeing them progress. It was just another damn good book from Thomas.

ALSO, THOUGH. The twist made me absolutely furious because I was starting to get a little unsure of my love for a certain character, but talked myself out of it because I thought I was being paranoid. I WASN’T. AND I’M MAD- but also I think there’s going to be a lot more to that storyline and I already can’t wait for the second installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I usually pride myself on being able to predict plot twists before they happen, but the one here really threw me, and that absolutely thrills me. I got close a couple of times in my reading, but I always second guessed myself. Well played, Aiden Thomas. Well played.

This book was an absolute thrill and fans of both The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson who are looking for maybe a little more diversity in their books will adore it just as much as I did, I’m sure. I am now impatiently awaiting the sequel. I have to know what happens!